palace of westminster – Visit London Bloghttp://blog.visitlondon.com
Enjoy the very best of LondonSun, 14 Feb 2016 17:46:12 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1Houses of Parliament Tourhttp://blog.visitlondon.com/2013/08/houses-of-parliament-tour/
Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:29:21 +0000http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=35229
This week, some members of the visitlondon.com team were treated to a private tour around the Houses of Parliament. And what a treat it was! The team share their highlights…

“I loved hearing about the antics of King Charles I, such as when he stormed into the House of Commons, and the rules and traditions that have been created as a result of things he did during his reign. It was really interesting seeing the warrant for his death on display, signed by the 59 Commissioners, including Oliver Cromwell!”Lauren Manning, Client Services Manager

“So many highlights! Westminster Hall was beautiful and so majestic; it’s incredible that it’s 900 years old. It was sobering to stand in a room where people like William Wallace and Guy Fawkes had been tried, and where huge figures such as Winston Churchill had lain in state. I also loved the tiny working Post Office – but then, I guess ministers receive a lot of mail…”Louise Maher, Marketing Manager

“For me (an Aussie in London) the Houses of Parliament is one of the most interesting buildings in the capital. It’s architecturally magnificent and I always enjoy walking past it. I’ve always wanted to see inside and it was so impressive. I loved hearing about the history and why a monarch can’t enter the Commons and that the Speaker is the only person who lives in the building. I thought the House of Lords was spectacular with the red and gold. A visit inside the Houses of Parliament should go to the top of the list of things to do in London!”Tamara Sperling, PR Manager

“I didn’t realise visitors were allowed inside the Houses of Parliament so I was really excited to have a look around. I wasn’t disappointed, it was one of my favourite things I’ve done in London! There’s so much amazing history, but I think my favourite thing was getting a behind the scenes view of the Lords’ Chamber and the House of Commons – they’re so much smaller than they look on television! It was also really interesting hearing about how many old parliamentary traditions have remained intact.”Stacey Crosskill, Social Media Manager

The Houses of Parliament run guided tours in Spanish, Italian, French, German and Russian, as well as English, and are open throughout the year, including Christmas. Book tickets

The tower that houses the famous Big Ben bell, whose distinctive chime can be heard throughout Westminster, is to be renamed in honour of The Queen in her Diamond Jubilee year.

Presently known as the Clock Tower, it will be renamed Elizabeth Tower at a special ceremony, following recent approval of the proposal by the House of Commons authorities.

It is worth noting, however, that the name change will only apply to the tower and not the bell. Big Ben, incidentally, is said by some to have been named after a giant and very successful 19th century boxer called Ben Caunt, proving that all sorts of achievements are capable of making history.

What do you think of the name change? Will you start calling it Elizabeth Tower; or continue to refer to the attraction as Big Ben as many people currently do? Let us know in the comments below.